Star Trek: Brazen, Episode 1 The Speed of Sound
by Jen H.M
Summary: The crew of the USS Brazen are among Star Fleet's worst. They are thrown together on a tiny, low-tech ship and given insignificant missions to keep them out of the way. However, their first mission turns out to be more than they bargained for.


Star Trek: Brazen

Episode 1 – The Speed of Sound

Act 1 – The Captain

Scene 1 – Demotion

"It's not a demotion, Joe, it's a transfer," said Admiral Sawyer. "Star Fleet has selected you to command the Brazen because you're the best man for the job." He took a sip of his tea and forced a smile.

Captain Joe Brown stared back at him, his untouched cup of coffee in his hand. "Some Mickey Mouse ship on gofer missions? I'm the best man for that job?" The admiral didn't respond. "I've been in Star Fleet for twenty-seven years, Mike; I've commanded the Langstrom for almost ten."

"And your record is exemplary."

"So why the exile?"

Admiral Sawyer sighed and rubbed his temples. "Don't think of it like that, Joe. Think of it as… a new opportunity."

"Why do I need a new opportunity?"

"Star Fleet thinks—"

"Did Star Fleet _think_ of asking me what I want?"

The admiral sipped his tea quietly. "What do you want me to say, Joe?"

"I want the truth," said the captain. "What is this really about?"

The admiral swiveled his chair around to face the window behind his desk. He sat silently for a few moments, gazing out at the multitude of stars in the vast blackness of the galaxy. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke, "You're a great captain, but you haven't been the same since…" He trailed off and glanced meaningfully at Captain Brown. The captain nodded in understanding. The admiral continued, "You're just not thriving on the Langstrom, Joe."

The captain's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm not _thriving_?"

"You're stagnant, stale."

Captain Brown slammed down his coffee mug, splashing dark brown liquid onto the admiral's desk. "What the hell does that mean?"

The admiral turned to face the captain and sighed. "You know your heart's not in it anymore, Joe, and there are lots of eager young go-getters just dying to take command of a ship like the Langstrom."

Captain Brown sat in silence, staring down at the admiral's large marble desk, seeing shapes in the green and white swirls and spilled coffee: a little girl, a doll, a mother holding a baby, an explosion… He shook his head and took a deep breath to push back the memories, as he had for the last year and a half. Admiral Sawyer's voice came from far away, "Joe," he said, "you are a great captain, and you're going to make something great out of this 'Mickey Mouse ship.' I know you will."

Captain Brown looked up. The admiral's face was creased into a sympathetic smile. His eyes were tired and lined from years of giving lower-ranking officers bad news. He stood and extended a calloused hand to Captain Brown. "Your ship is expecting you, Captain," he said firmly.

The captain rose slowly and shook the admiral's hand, then walked out of the room without another word.

Act 2 – The Ship

Scene 1 – It's Small

The USS Brazen sat docked at the space station, a blotch of dreary gray against the stark black sky. "It's small," was all Ensign Fretz could think to say. Lieutenant Ricks peered through the window at the docking bay and laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked the ensign.

"Well," said the lieutenant, "you know what they say, 'size doesn't matter.'" He covered his mouth to stifle a giggle. Ensign Fretz shook her head. "Good things come in small packages," said the lieutenant. This time he allowed himself to laugh out loud, drawing attention from passersby.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," said the ensign, "because we're going to be stuck on that sardine can for a long time.

Lieutenant Ricks fanned himself and wiped a tear from his eye. "Speak for yourself," he said between laughs. "I'll settle my case with Star Fleet and be back on the Langstrom by lunch."

"You really think they'll give in?"

"They have to, or they're looking at a strike by the entire Star Fleet LGBT community. They can't demote—I'm sorry, 'transfer'—an officer just because he's gay." The lieutenant stopped laughing and scowled accusingly at the Brazen.

"But Commander Dorian is gay, and he just got promoted to captain of the Langstrom."

"Commander Dorian's not gay."

Ensign Fretz furrowed her brow in confusion. "But, he has a husband."

"A beard," said the lieutenant. "It's a farce."

"Why would he pretend to be gay?"

"To get promoted, of course."

The ensign bit her lip. "But if Star Fleet demotes people for being gay—"

"Look, you don't get it because you're fresh out of the Academy. You don't know how Star Fleet works yet."

"You're right, sorry." The two sat in silence, staring out at their new ship, hanging there like a gray speck, next to the other formidable vessels. Ensign Fretz looked up at the hulking form of the Langstrom, its bright windows glittering like stars on its saucer. The Brazen looked like a toy in comparison.

Lieutenant Ricks crossed his arms and sighed. "Let's go face the music," he said, storming off to the transporter room. Ensign Fretz checked her reflection in the window, smoothed her uniform, and followed the lieutenant.

Act 3 – The Crew

Scene 1 – The First Officer

Commander Borgia surveyed her tiny quarters, which consisted of only a small bed and a table. A door in one corner led to a bathroom barely big enough to house the toilet and stand-up shower. "Oh this is great," she said. She dropped her things on the floor, and lay down on the bed; her feet hung off the end. "This is perfect for a woman who's five-foot-eleven."

She got up and walked over to the replicator. "Computer," she said, "glass of water, five degrees."

"Parameter 'degrees' is invalid," said the computer in a tinny female voice.

"What?" asked the commander.

"Parameter 'degrees' is invalid," the computer repeated. "Please restate command."

"Water," said the commander, "temperature, five degrees Celsius!"

"Parameter 'temperature' is invalid," said the computer. "Please restate command."

"Cold!" Commander Borgia shouted. "Water! Cold!" A glass of water the size of a shot glass appeared on the replicator. "Oh, that'll quench my thirst." She picked up the tiny glass and swallowed the water in one gulp. "God, is everything on this ship small?"

A businesslike voice came from her communicator, "Commander Borgia, please report to the transporter room to greet the Captain."

"I don't know if both of us will fit in there," the commander replied.

"The area of the transporter room is sufficient to accommodate both you and the captain, Commander. The capacity of the transporter room is approximately twenty occupants."

Commander Borgia sighed. "You must be Lieutenant Façade."

"That is correct, Commander."

"I'm on my way, Lieutenant."

Before leaving her cramped quarters, the commander allowed herself one last look at the photos. Two happy young faces grinned at her from the glow of her view screen. They held hands while walking down the boardwalk, rubbed sun block on each other on the beach, and shared a milkshake with two straws in a retro diner. "What are you so happy about?" she asked the smiling couple. "It won't last the summer."

She switched off the view screen and looked at her reflection in the monitor. That young, happy face was now tired and vacant; a single tear rolled down one cheek. She brushed the tear away and took a deep breath. "I just can't wait to meet the captain of this bucket."

Scene 2 – The Android and the Doctor

Commander Borgia was greeted in the ship's only transporter room by a small, pretty young woman with fair skin, shiny black hair, and bright purple eyes. "Hello, Commander," she said with a polite smile. "I am Lieutenant Façade."

"Well, you're the only android in here, so I would assume so."

The lieutenant glanced around, as if looking for other androids, then stared blankly at the commander. "Oh!" she said suddenly. "A joke!" To the commander's surprise, Lieutenant Façade burst into a fit of laughter. "Very amusing!" she said.

"A laughing android, now that's a first."

"The lieutenant here is one of those newfangled emotional androids," said a gruff voice. Commander Borgia turned to see an elderly man of at least eighty years limp into the transporter room. His insignia showed his rank to be Lieutenant Commander. "CMO Dr. Lance Foreman," he said, extending a withered, liver-spotted hand.

"Commander Borgia. An emotional android? Is that possible?" She shook the doctor's hand carefully, fearing his brittle fingers might break.

"A team of female cyberneticists thought so. They created this one with female emotions."

"Sounds like trouble." Commander Borgia smiled.

"Tell me about it," the doctor laughed a raspy, wheezing laugh.

"Are you implying that women's emotions are somehow inferior to men's?" Lieutenant Façade asked.

"Everyone knows women have crazy, irrational emotions, Sweetheart," said Dr. Foreman.

"I find that offensive," the lieutenant snarled, turning fiery eyes on the doctor. "And I object to the pet name, 'sweetheart.' I insist that you refer to me by my official ranking title."

"I think you just proved my point, Honey."

"Transporter room, one to beam up," came the captain's voice from the control panel.

"Aye, Captain," said the transporter chief. He tapped the control panel and the transporter whirred to life. The other three officers watched expectantly, as a form materialized in front of them.

"What the hell is that?" barked Dr. Foreman.

"Captain Brown is looking a little green," said Commander Borgia with a mirthless laugh.

"Uh…" said the transporter chief. "I don't know what happened."

The officers stared at the transporter pad, where a large leafy plant was sitting in the captain's place. "Transporter room, I'm waiting," came the captain's voice.

"Uh, yes, Captain. Stand by." The chief tapped the panel again and the plant disappeared. Moments later, Captain Brown stood in front of them, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Nice to see you're not a plant, Captain," said the commander.

Captain Brown looked puzzled. "Why would I be a plant?"

"Our transporter chief seemed to think you were for a minute there."

"I'm sorry, Captain," said the chief. "I beamed up a plant by mistake. It won't happen again." His face flushed beet red.

"I should hope not," said Captain Brown, stepping down from the transporter pad. He glanced from the commander to the lieutenant. "Which one of you is Commander Borgia?"

"I am, Sir," Commander Borgia said. "Welcome to the USS Brazen, such as it is."

"Is that a joke, Commander?" asked the captain, not looking the least bit amused.

"No, this ship is a joke," muttered the commander under her breath. The captain glared at her but said nothing.

"CMO Foreman," said the doctor, shaking the captain's hand. "I have uniforms older than you."

The captain opened his mouth to speak, then closed it silently. He turned to Lieutenant Façade. "And you are?"

"She's the android," said the commander.

"I have a name," Lieutenant Façade snapped.

"A touchy android," the commander laughed.

Lieutenant Façade turned to the commander and looked her up and down. "I can break your arm with one hand," she said. The room went quiet. "I will show you to your quarters, Captain," said the lieutenant, stepping toward the door.

The captain raised his eyebrows at his new crew. Commander Borgia smirked back at him. "See you on the bridge, Captain."

Scene 3 – The Lechers

A group of young officers stood outside the captain's quarters, laughing and drinking glasses of what looked like beer. "Hey, Captain!" one of them called. "Who's the babe?"

"Excuse me?" said Lieutenant Façade.

"Hey, you're that android!" The young officer whistled. "How do I run a pleasure program?" The group laughed raucously.

Lieutenant Façade placed a hand lightly on the young officer's throat and lifted him two feet off the ground. He gasped and coughed, prying helplessly at her fingers. "I am your superior officer, and you will show me some respect, Ensign!" the lieutenant hissed. The group laughed more.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lieutenant!" the captain shouted. Lieutenant Façade released the ensign and he dropped to the floor, panting and rubbing his throat. The group applauded and raised their glasses. "Ensign, report to sick bay," said the captain.

The ensign pulled himself up off the ground. "Crazy bitch," he wheezed. Lieutenant Façade raised a fist, but lowered it at the captain's glare.

"The rest of you, stop letching around and get back to your duties," said the captain. He shot them one last glare and disappeared into his quarters.

"Aye aye, Captain," the men replied, giving him clumsy, drunken salutes. Lieutenant Façade stomped off to the turbolift. "She really boots my hard drive," said one of the lechers. "I'd like to flash her BIOS," said another. "I'd like to install my RAM into her motherboard," said a third. They burst into another bout of intoxicated laughter, spilling beer onto their uniforms as they convulsed.

Act 4 – The First Mission

Scene 1 – Staff Meeting

Since the Brazen seemed to lack a conference room of any kind, Captain Brown was forced to hold his first staff meeting in his ready room, an embarrassingly small space with one tiny table and one chair. The senior staff crowded into the room carrying chairs from their respective quarters.

A small, gray-haired woman stood rigidly before him. "Chief Security Officer, Commander Mabel Dorian, reporting for duty, Sir."

"Chief Security Officer?" the captain asked. I thought we only had one security officer."

"Yes, that's me, Sir," said Commander Dorian with a proud smile.

"Do you have experience in security, Commander?" The captain surveyed her feeble frame doubtfully.

"Thirty-six years on the USS Percival, Sir." Her smile highlighted the lines around her thin lips, and displayed her yellowed teeth.

The captain nodded. _At least we won't have much need for security,_ he thought. "And you, Sir?" He gestured toward a tall, lanky man who sat in the corner, biting his nails.

The man jumped suddenly, as if he'd received an electric shock. "Me, Captain?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes, name and rank, please."

The man glanced around nervously and fiddled with his uniform. "Um," he said, "I'm, uh, the Chief Engineer, L-Lieutenant F-Fry, uh, Sir."

Captain Brown felt a migraine forming at the front of his forehead and closed his eyes. "Computer," he said, "water, three degrees."

"Parameter, 'degrees' is invalid," the computer replied.

The captain blinked at the replicator. "Excuse me?" he asked.

Commander Borgia stood up. "Allow me, Sir," she said, pushing her way through the group to the replicator. "Water, cold." A shot glass of water materialized, and she handed it to the captain.

Captain Brown held up the miniature glass and frowned. Commander Borgia laughed. "Alright," said the captain. "Let's get down to business. Our first mission is to transport building supplies to the new colony on Brosius 9."

The crew groaned. "So we're construction workers now?" Asked a young man with bright orange hair.

"Lieutenant Ricks, I'd heard you'd been transferred too. Nice to see a familiar face." The captain attempted a half-smile.

"Don't get too used to this face, Captain. I'll be out of here by the end of the week." He folded his arms across his chest and studied a speck on the wall.

The captain gulped down his microscopic glass of water and rubbed his forehead. Dr. Foreman reached over and placed two small while capsules on the captain's desk. "Aspirin," he said. "Ancient headache remedy. Swallow them."

Captain Brown swallowed the pills and looked around at his crew. Each of them looked different combinations of bored, annoyed, tired, old, confused, and nervous. He felt all of those things.

"It's a simple mission," he said. "The cargo was loaded at the space station, so let's set a course for Brosius 9 and get those people their equipment."

"Will that be all, Captain?" asked Lieutenant Façade, looking just as impatient as the human officers.

The captain twirled his empty glass in his hand and watched the light bounce off of it, casting dancing patterns on the walls. "Look," he said. "We all know what this is, why we're here. We're not on any kind of grand mission of exploration, like those snobs on the Enterprise." This comment received muffled laughter from the crew. "We're doing light duty missions, where we'll stay out of Star Fleet's way and not cause too much damage. So let's just play along, do the best we can, and hope they notice."

"Great pep talk, Cap'n," said Commander Borgia, with her usual smirk.

"You're dismissed," said the captain. "Doctor, I'll have another aspirin, please."

Scne 2 – Nightmares

"Course plotted and laid in, Captain," called Ensign Fretz from the Conn panel.

Captain Brown yawned. "What's our ETA at our current speed, Ensign?"

"Eighteen hours, Sir."

"Make it warp six. Let's get this over with."

"The ship has a maximum speed of warp four, Captain," said Lieutenant Façade from her post at Ops.

"Why am I not surprised? Warp three then, Ensign."

The ship's engines roared to life and the USS Brazen sped through the stars to Brosius 9. Despite his best efforts, Captain Brown couldn't keep his eyes open. He drifted off to sleep and dreamt of a city built high on a mountain, filled with happy, simple people, smiling, living, and working together, without a care in the world. They retrieved water from a stone well, churned milk into butter, and wove thread into cloth, while sheep, cows, and pigs roamed freely around them.

Then, in an instant, they were gone, enveloped in flames and black smoke, leaving nothing but rubble. A lone hand reached out from the ashes toward him, reaching for him, clawing at his uniform. "Why didn't you help?" a disembodied voice asked. "You could have saved us. You should have saved us." More hands arose from the ground, pulling at him. "I tried to help! I couldn't!" he cried.

"Captain?" came another voice. The captain opened his eyes to find Commander Borgia standing over him. "Are you alright?"

The captain sat up and adjusted his uniform. "Yes, of course, Commander. Return to your post."

"You were shouting," said Commander Borgia. "Did you have a bad dream?" She flashed a mock frown and snickered.

"Don't be ridiculous," said the captain. "I wasn't asleep, and I wasn't shouting."

"You were indeed, Captain," said Lieutenant Façade. You said, 'I tried to help, I couldn't.'" She repeated the Captain's cries in his own voice. The bridge crew laughed.

"Enough!" shouted the captain. "Everyone return to your duties. Ensign, what's our ETA on Brosius 9?"

"We're here, Captain," said Ensign Fretz. We've been here for forty-five minutes."

"What? Why wasn't I informed?" the captain demanded, rising from his chair.

"We didn't want to wake you," said Commander Borgia. "You looked so peaceful, like a baby." The crew laughed again.

"Commander, prepare an away team and report to the transporter room."

"Aye, Captain."

Captain Brown couldn't leave the bridge fast enough. He made his way to his quarters and splashed water on his face repeatedly. The images of the men, women, and children engulfed in flames flashed through his mind. He breathed deeply and tried to focus on his mission. "We're just bringing them building supplies," he muttered to himself. "A routine mission. Nothing can go wrong."

His communicator chirped. "Captain Brown, please report to the bridge," came Lieutenant Ricks's voice.

"Lieutenant, I'm about to join the away team in the transporter room," said the captain.

"I really think you should come to the bridge, Captain," said the lieutenant.

The captain sighed. "Very well, Lieutenant, I'm on my w—" A sudden jolt jerked the captain head first into the sink, splashing water down the front of his uniform. "What the hell was that?" he barked.

"Yeah, that's why you should come to the bridge, Sir."

Scene 3 – Change of Plans

"Shields up!" Commander Borgia ordered. "Hail them, Lieutenant. All languages, all frequencies."

"Aye Commander," Lieutenant Ricks replied. "No response so far."

"Recommend we go to red alert," said Commander Dorian.

"Does this ship _have_ red alert?" Commander Borgia asked doubtfully.

"No, it does not," said Lieutenant Façade. "It has no alerts of any color."

"Well, can someone make a klaxon sound?" said Commander Borgia. Lieutenant Façade opened her mouth and a loud siren blared from it. "Perfect," said Commander Borgia. "Keep it up."

The turbolift opened and Captain Brown stepped onto the bridge. "What the hell is going on?" he asked. "And what's that awful noise?"

"That's our red alert, Captain," said Commander Borgia with a smile. "Did you have an accident?" She nodded at the captain's wet uniform.

"Turn off that noise!" the captain snapped. "And explain to me what the hell is going on here!"

Lieutenant Façade ceased her klaxon.

"We're under attack by an unidentified vessel, Captain," Commander Dorian reported. "Shields are down sixty-two percent."

"Sixty-two percent? They only fired once!" Another jolt shook the bridge, sending officers tumbling to the floor.

"We've lost shields, Captain," said Commander Dorian.

"Have we hailed them?" asked the captain.

"Yes, Sir," Lieutenant Ricks replied. "No response."

"Well try again! Lieutenant Façade, what the hell kind of ship is it?"

Lieutenant Façade tapped her control panel. "Unknown, Sir."

"On screen!" said the Captain. The vessel appeared on the main view screen. It was at least ten times the size of the Brazen, and shaped like a large sphere. "Oh, shit," said the captain. The crew turned to look at him. "I know that ship," he whispered.

The memories flooded back: flames, smoke, cries for help, the woman with the baby, the little girl with the doll, the hands clutching out from the rubble. Captain Brown shut his eyes tight and took several deep breaths, pushing back the images. "Focus," he said to himself. He opened his eyes to find the crew gaping at him. "Open a channel," he said.

Lieutenant Ricks tapped his panel. "Channel open, Sir."

"Unidentified vessel, I am Captain Joseph Brown of the USS Brazen. You have attacked a Federation star ship, unprovoked. I demand an explanation for your aggression."

The crew sat in silence, awaiting the vessel's response. The captain held his breath and clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails dug into his skin.

Finally, an image appeared on the view screen. In the dim light, the captain could make out a large, shapeless gray blob, like a slug with teeth, sharp, green, grinning teeth. He felt his stomach drop to his knees, and his breath catch in his throat.

"You have brought humans to a planet in our system," the alien said in a robotic voice. "We have removed them. Now you will leave, or we will remove you. You have five of your Earth minutes." The image disappeared.

Captain Brown swallowed hard. "Any life signs on the planet?"

"None, Captain," said Lieutenant Façade. "No sign of any of the one thousand, five hundred colonists who…" She trailed off and began sniffling.

"Lieutenant?"

"Dead," said Lieutenant Façade. "They are all dead. All of them." She slumped forward and began sobbing loudly. "Why? _Why?_"

"Get a hold of yourself, Lieutenant!" said the captain. "We'll have time to grieve later."

"Murderers!" Lieutenant Façade suddenly cried. She rose from her chair and stood in front of the view screen, clenching her fists. "They murdered all those people! They deserve to die!"

Captain Brown stepped forward and grabbed Lieutenant Façade by the shoulders. "Lieutenant! Control yourself or I will relieve you of duty!"

Lieutenant Façade gritted her teeth. "Yes, Captain, one moment, please." She closed her eyes and her head drooped forward.

"Lieutenant?" The captain shook her. "What's happening?"

The lieutenant's head rose, and her eyes flew open. She blinked up at the captain with a blank expression. "I apologize, Sir," she said. "I had to reboot." She pulled away from the captain and returned to Ops. "We now have three minutes, forty-seven seconds to respond to the ultimatum"

"Commander Dorian, how are the shields?" asked the captain.

"Up to six percent, Captain."

"Engineering reports that repairs will take at least four hours, Captain," said Lieutenant Ricks.

"Bridge to engineering," said the captain.

"Th-this is Lieutenant F-Fry, Sir," a trembling voice replied.

"Lieutenant, I need those shields up now. Divert power from all nonessential systems."

"Aye, Captain."

"How much can you give me in four minutes?"

"Three minutes, eighteen seconds, Captain," Lieutenant Façade corrected.

"How much can you give me in three minutes?"

"Um," said Lieutenant Fry. "Maybe, like, twelve percent?"

"That'll protect us from being blown to smithereens," said Commander Borgia.

"Suggestions!" yelled the captain.

"Sir, recommend we retreat at maximum warp," said Lieutenant Façade.

"Recommend we fire all phasers and photon torpedoes, Captain," said Commander Dorian.

"Are you crazy?" asked Commander Borgia incredulously. "Our shields are down, we don't stand a chance! Captain, I agree with the android, let's get the hell out of here."

"I have a name!" Lieutenant Façade growled.

Dr. Foreman's voice came over the captain's communicator. "Captain, what in the world is going on in there? Sick bay is full already, we don't need anymore injuries. Get us out of here!"

"Alright!" said the captain, feeling his headache returning. "Lieutenant Ricks, open a channel."

"Aye, Si—"

A loud, high-pitched screeching sound suddenly emitted from every panel, piercing the crew's ears and bringing the captain's headache back in full force. Everyone groaned, clutching their ears and pounding their panels to stop the noise.

"What the hell?" said the captain. "Someone make that stop!" He collapsed onto his chair with his head in his hands.

Lieutenant Fry's nervous voice came over the captain's communicator. "Uh, sorry about the n-noise, Captain. I'm n-not sure how to make it s-stop."

"Jesus, does anyone on this ship know what they're doing?" Commander Borgia shouted over the noise.

"One minute, twelve seconds, Sir," said Lieutenant Façade. "We are all going to die!" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed over her control panel.

"Captain," said Commander Dorian. "The enemy vessel's shields are down."

"What?" The captain did not look up.

"They're retreating!" Commander Dorian stared at the view screen in shock.

"They're what? I can't hear you over this infernal noise!"

The noise stopped abruptly and Lieutenant Fry's voice said, "I th-think I fixed it, C-Captain. S-sorry again."

Captain Brown blinked at the view screen. "They're retreating!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, that's what I was trying to tell you, Sir," said Commander Dorian. "They dropped their shields and retreated." The bridge crew cheered.

"Sir, they have plotted a course for Adetola," said Lieutenant Façade. "It is a newly settled colony with over three thousand citizens."

The captain exchanged glances with his first officer. "Maybe they just want to say hello," said Commander Borgia with a wan smile.

"Conference, all senior staff, my ready room," said the captain. He rose from his chair and started toward his ready room. No one else moved.

"Captain, we're all right here," said Commander Borgia.

The captain sat back down. "Very well." He tapped his communicator. "Dr. Foreman, Lieutenant Fry, listen up. I need theories. What caused the enemy vessel to retreat?"

"Maybe they were intimidated when we refused to surrender," said Commander Dorian.

"Oh yeah, they were _real_ scared of us," said Commander Dorian.

"Maybe they thought we weren't worth wasting their phaser power," said Lieutenant Ricks, "so they moved on to a bigger target."

"Maybe there's an even bigger, meaner ship on its way here that we don't know about," said Ensign Fretz.

"Who cares why they retreated!" came Dr. Foreman's voice. "Let's get the hell out of here before they come back!"

"Lieutenant Fry, theories?" said the captain.

"Um," said Lieutenant Fry's timid voice. "I'm n-not really prepared, C-Captain. C-can you ask someone else first?"

Captain Brown rubbed his forehead in attempt to keep his headache at bay. "Captain," said Lieutenant Façade, tapping her control panel so quickly that her fingers blurred together. "The aliens seem to have dropped their shields at the exact moment that Lieutenant Fry accidentally emitted that screeching sound."

"I said I was s-sorry," said Lieutenant Fry.

Lieutenant Ricks gasped. "I opened a channel right before that! I was so distracted by the noise that I forgot it was still open."

"So the aliens heard that obnoxious sound..." said the captain.

"And retreated," Commander Borgia added.

"Lieutenant Fry, can you replicate that noise?"

"Um, I don't know, C-Captain... M-maybe," said Lieutenant Fry.

"Try it now," said Commander Borgia. The crew waited in silence. After a moment, the piercing sound blasted from every panel. "OK, we get it, Lieutenant. Turn it off now." The sound stopped.

"Lieutenant Façade, how long before the enemy vessel reaches Adetola?" asked the captain.

"At their present course and speed, three hours, forty-two minutes, Sir."

The captain looked at his first officer; she nodded. "Ensign Fretz, set a course to intercept, maximum warp. Dr. Foreman, bring me some more of that aspirin."

Lieutenant Ricks smiled and clapped his hands. "This'll get me back on the Langstrom for sure."

Scene 4 – The Battle

"Captain, we're approaching Adetola," said Ensign Fretz.

"Enemy vessel is orbiting the planet, Sir," said Commander Dorian.

"Bring us within firing range, Ensign, full impulse," said Captain Brown. "Lieutenant Ricks, open a channel."

"Channel open, Sir."

"Enemy vessel, this is Captain Brown of the USS Brazen. You have committed heinous acts of aggression against the United Federation of Planets. We are prepared to destroy you if you do not surrender and leave this system immediately. You have five earth minutes to respond. Mute."

"Muted," said Lieutenant Ricks.

The captain tapped his communicator. "Ready, Engineering?"

"Uh, yeah, aye, Sir," said Lieutenant Fry.

"Wait for my signal." The captain reclined in his chair and tapped his fingers on his control panel. "Time, Lieutenant?"

"Four minutes, eight seconds, Sir," said Lieutenant Façade.

"Come on you slimy bastards," Commander Borgia muttered.

"Four minutes," said Lieutenant Façade. The crew waited in silence. The only sound came from the tapping of the captain's fingers.

"Three minutes." Captain Brown closed his eyes; the images came back: the mother and baby, the little girl with the doll. They held hands and smiled warmly at him.

"Two minutes."

"They're arming phasers, Captain," said Commander Dorian.

"Shields up," said the captain. "Now, Lieutenant Fry."

The crew covered their ears as the screeching sound started again.

"Enemy's shields are down, Sir!" Commander Dorian shouted over the noise.

The slug-like alien reappeared on the view screen, its green teeth gritted in pain. "Brown of the Brazen! Cease this attack!" It groaned as part of its slimy body seemed to melt, oozing over its chair.

"Do you surrender?" yelled Captain Brown.

The creature groaned again. "Yes! Please! You are killing us! We surrender!"

"Then you will leave this system and leave the humans be?"

"Yes! Whatever you wish! Please!"

"Enough, Lieutenant Fry!" The sound stopped, and the creature disappeared from the view screen.

"Enemy vessel is retreating, Sir," said Commander Dorian. The crew cheered.

"Lieutenant Ricks, send a transmission to Adetola with instructions on how to repel the aliens, in case they should ever return," said the Captain. "And notify Star Fleet Command. I'll be in my quarters. Commander Borgia, you have the bridge." He rose and walked to the turbolift, high-fiving smiling crewmen along the way.

"Congratulations, Captain," said Commander Borgia with a wink. "This will certainly get Star Fleet's attention."

Act 5 – The End

Scene 1 – Resolution

Captain Brown lay down on his tiny bed. "Computer," he said, "dim the lights."

"Command 'dim' is invalid," said the computer.

"Oh, just turn the lights off, then," said the captain. The lights switched off and he lay staring into the darkness. The images reappeared again. The mother held her baby tenderly, and the little girl danced with her doll. They were joined by dozens of others, all of them smiling and laughing, living and working together with their sheep, cows, and pigs. The mother looked up at him and waved. "You did it," she said. "You saved us." For the first time in a year and a half, Captain Brown smiled.


End file.
